Nigeria Malaria cases 2025 hit 24.47 million in nine months, highlighting urgent need for enhanced prevention, testing, and treatment measures

Nigeria has recorded no fewer than 24.47 million confirmed malaria cases in the first nine months of 2025, according to the National Health Statistics Report released by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.

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The data, obtained by our correspondent on Friday, shows a steady increase in individuals presenting with fever who were tested using Rapid Diagnostic Tests and microscopy.

Testing rose from 10,517,416 in the first quarter to 12,878,508 in the third quarter, with a cumulative 34,845,728 Nigerians screened.

The quarterly breakdown of confirmed cases reveals an upward trend. In Q1, 7,301,279 people tested positive, followed by 7,841,483 in Q2 and 9,324,470 in Q3.

Health experts attribute the spike in malaria to the rainy season, which intensifies mosquito breeding, as well as challenges such as late treatment-seeking and inadequate healthcare infrastructure.

Treatment also increased in line with confirmed cases. Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACT) was administered to 7,144,538 patients in Q1, 7,663,106 in Q2, and 9,043,786 in Q3, bringing the total treated to approximately 23,851,430 individuals.

Speaking during the 2025 Joint Annual Review in Abuja, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako, noted that the Malaria Control Programme under the National Malaria Eradication Programme had achieved notable milestones, though he stressed the need for continued interventions to curb the disease burden.

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Experts warn that without targeted measures, the number of malaria cases is likely to increase further before the end of 2025, urging Nigerians to seek early treatment and adopt preventive practices.